If you read my previous review of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, then you know how much I praised it as a classic staple of the fantasy genera, and how I’ve only grown to love it more and more as I’ve grown up. Now, it’s time to review the 2002 sequel titled “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, how does this one do in comparison to the first movie ... honestly, I think it’s even better than its predecessor. In fact, of all eight original installments in the “Harry Potter” series, this one is personally my absolute favorite. Oh, there will be other excellent films in the series after this, but I’ll always look at “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” with the most fondness. This is the film that really made me a devoted fan of the series, this is the one I’ve watched the most, and it sits quiet comfortably amongst some of my own personal favorite movies.
Here's the set-up, Harry Potters second year at Hogwarts school is about to begin, and Harry is excited to go back to the place he considers home. However, an ominous warning from a house elf named Dobby, gives our young hero the distinct impression that things are going to get really bad at school this year. It turns out that an ancient evil dating back to when the school was first built, has now come back to haunt them, and a mysterious creature has been unleashed on all the students. As kids are slowly being attacked by the monster, the burden falls upon Harry Potter and his friends to slay this best, protect the school, and embark on one wild adventure after the next to solve the mystery of the hidden chamber of secrets. This is the kind of premise that thrills me, because the danger is much closer to home, the castle that’s supposed to be our safe haven is now defenseless, concepts and events from the past effect the present, and everything ties together so nicely in the end.
Our trio of hero’s are back, but this time it’s more like a buddy adventure for Harry and Ron, because Hermione doesn’t get to spend as much time with them. However the next film will make up for that, and she still contributes to the team. Also, it’s actually kind of cool to see the two best friends get their own adventure. It’s hard to explain why, but the characters all feel more human in this film. I like their conversations, I like their bonding moments, and I love how involved everyone gets. There's a very touching scene between Hermione and Hagrid, and it's these little seeds of heart that balance out the darker elements of the story.
It’s really cool to learn the genesis of Hogwarts School and the legend of the four founding wizards. It’s revealed that Harry Potter is the descendent of one of the four founders, a wizard by the name of Godric Gryffindor, who was one of greatest hero’s of the age. On the opposite side of that coin, we also learn that Harries greatest enemy Voldemort is also a descendent from one of the big four, a wizard named Salazar Slytherin, who was the most sinister villain of the time. This makes the rivalry between Harry and Voldemort all the more interesting, because now it’s like a battle of the generations, the decedents of titans have come back to clash. Harry also confronts a younger version of Voldemort by the name of Tom Riddle. This was an interesting twist, and it helps keep things feeling fresh. Most of the Harry Potter movies feature Voldemort as a decayed, snake like monster. Yet, for some reason, he feels more intimidating, and even a little scarier as this generic, everyday teenager, because you just wouldn’t expect him to be the epitome of evil. Lastly, there's a story arc of Harry developing similarities to his enemy, which makes him question his own persona. In the end, he learns that it's his choices that define him, and as long as he choses to be virtues, he'll never be like his enemy.
All the other classic characters from the first film are back and better than ever. This is the last film to feature the late great sir Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, before his unfortunate passing. Thankfully, he has a lot of scenes, and you just want to saver every moment with him in the role, as he was just so warm and humble in the part. John Cleese also makes one last appearance as the ghost named Nearly Headless Nick. Alan Rickman dose his usual good job in the role of professor Snape, and this movie features some of his best reactions, namely his signature smirk. The half giant Hagrid gets a lot of involvement in this story, which is great, because I always love when Hagrid feels like a main character. Unfortunately, after this film, he'll be more of a supporting role who occasionally makes appearances. The bully Draco Malfoy also gets a much bigger part in this film, and has some exciting clashes with Harry Potter throughout the movie, including a wizard duel, which is the first official wand battle in the series.
We also get a fun cast of new characters and creatures to join the adventure. Ron’s little sister Ginny makes her mark on the series, and will become Harry Potters girl friend in the later installments. While she doesn’t get a lot of screen time, she at least plays a part in the story, and her introduction scene when she first meets Harry is hands down one of the cutest moments in the whole series. One of the funniest characters is a young boy named Colin, who’s always insistent on taking a picture with his camera. Some of the new creatures include a giant spider named Aragog, and a phoenix named Fox. There’s a new ghost character named Moaning myrtle, who’s a lot of fun to watch. Then there’s the house elf named Dobby, who’s taken it upon himself to be Harry Potters guardian angel, weather Harry wants his help or not. This could have easily been a really annoying character, but the righters handle him very well. He never goes to over the top or annoying, and has just enough charisma and charm to balance everything out.
My favorite character by far is the new defense against the dark arts teacher, a celebrity author by the name of Gilderoy Lockhart. This guy’s one of those celebrity’s who loves to show off, loves the attention, yet in reality he’s a complete looser. He’s played by Kenneth Branagh, and he’s hamming this performance up with pure charm and enjoyment. No one else could have pulled this character off as well as him. There’s also a new villain thrown in the mix named Lucius Malfoy, who's brought to life through an electrifying performance by Jason Isaacs. He’s the evil master mind in this film, father of Harrys rival Draco, and he steals the show with every scene he’s in. Jason Isaacs is such an awesome villain actor, and he infuses this character with menace, class, and a dominate screen presence. Even though Voldemort is the primary threat of the series, and one of Hollywood’s most classic villains, I personally prefer Lucius Malfoy. He’s just a really cool villain, with a devious voice, a threatening look, and even a cane with a snake head at the end. This is another character that will be featured in other Harry Potter movies, but he’ll never be quiet as awesome as displayed in this movie.
I always viewed the first Harry Potter movie as more of an experience then a story, as it was all about being submersed in a magical world, and going from one magical encounter to the next. In many respects, "Chamber of Secrets" has that same feel, but it’s not as much of a simplistic experience, and instead is far more of a fast passed adventure film ... which is how I like it best. Right from the start we get an exciting scene where Harry’s dead beat relatives, the Dursleys, are holding him prisoner at their house, and it’s up to his best friend Ron to rescue him. After that, all kinds of exciting adventure sequences take place. There’s an unbelievably fun scene where Harry and Ron miss the train to go to Hogwarts, which results in them stealing a flying car, and what follows is one of the wildest rides I’ve ever seen. We have another exciting Quitich match, except this time Harry is facing off against his rival Draco Malfoy, all while contending with a rouge wreaking ball that’s chasing him. One of my favorite scenes involves our hero’s venturing into a dark forest, where their attacked by an army of giant spiders. I've always been terrified of spiders, and this scene still gets me on edge, as well as stand-out as one of the best action scenes in the series.
Finally, the film builds to a thrilling climax involving a monstrous serpent called the Basilisk. We get sword fighting, running around through an underground maze, and this giant monster just thrills me every time it’s on screen. When it comes to creatures of folklore and mythology, the Basilisk has always been one of my favorites, and I don’t think this creature has ever been more awesome then the one featured in this film. The ending is easily one of the best feel good moments of the entire series, as everyone tearfully reunites, and while it’s a little corny to see all the characters give a sudden round of applause, it’s still very satisfying, and it just warms me up inside every time. That final shot is also a perfect way to close out the film, with the big group shot of everyone in the great hall, then the camera backs out a window, giving us an awesome shot of the castle, all mated to triumphant music, and then fade to black ... it gives me chills every time, and is my favorite closing shot of the whole series.
Personally, I think this film gets the tone just right, capturing that same magical charm of the first movie, and combining it with the darker storytelling of the later day films. Many Harry Potter movies to come will just get darker and darker, which is fine, as I like dark storytelling, but all the joyful tones that made these early films so captivating will be mostly diminished, and I just prefer how these two tones balance each other out in this film. The pacing is especially good, and I'm consistently engaged. I mean, this movie has a long run time of 161 minutes, but it goes by so quickly, and never once comes off as boring or tiered. Heck, I even enjoy watching the extended-cut, which obviously feels longer, but it's cool for some added details, including more screen time for my favorite villain Lucius Malfoy. Like I said earlier, the movie also balances it's entertainment value with a fairly decent message regarding the choices we make, and how they define us as individuals. Thankfully, these Harry Potter movies know how to deliver a moral without preaching it in the face of the audience. On a side note, this is the only entry in the series to feature a post credit scene, showing what happened to our favorite lowlife celebrity Gilderoy Lockhart. It’s not that long, but I suppose it’s worth mentioning.
To sum things up, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is a magical adventure that expands on the mystical universe of the series, and even improves on it. Everything just feels livelier, and while it may be more appealing for younger views, I still can’t help enjoying this one the most. I don’t think any series should have a definitive best entry, because it’s all open for debate, and it’s up to personal opinion. With that said, it’s been over a decade sense this movie first premiered, and it’s still my personal favorite of the Harry Potter movies. The tone is perfect, the story is engaging, the characters are wonderful, the adventure elements are thrilling, the creatures are awesome, the message is great, I’ve seen it a million times before, and I’m sure I’ll see it a million times more.
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